ScotRail strike off as RMT staff accept pay offer

Some strikes have been averted now the RMT dispute is settled

Staff at ScotRail have accepted an increased pay offer, averting a planned series of strikes.

The RMT had planned to strike next Saturday followed by regular walk-outs on Fridays and Saturdays up to Christmas.

Members were voting on a 5% rise plus an extra £750.

ScotRail said this means wages will rise by 7.5% for staff such as conductors and ticket examiners with an 8.5% increase for lower-paid workers.

Announcing the result of the ballot, the RMT said 67.7% of members who voted opted to accept the offer which the union had recommended.

However the deal is separate to the ongoing pay dispute and industrial action being taken by Network Rail staff who are members of the RMT.

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The strikes were temporarily suspended on 10 November after ScotRail made the improved pay offer.

As part of the improved deal, minimum flat rate pay has been increased to £10.50 per hour and a no compulsory redundancies guarantee has also been increased from five to six years.

The current agreement on rest day working has been extended until 31 October 2023.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail's head of customer operations, said: "We are delighted that RMT members have voted to accept this pay offer.

"We worked hard to put forward an offer which recognises the hard work of staff, as well as the financial challenges faced by the railway as we recover from the pandemic.

"ScotRail, our staff, and our customers want to have a reliable, safe, and sustainable railway that supports the economy and connects communities across the country.

"By reaching agreement with the RMT, we can now focus fully on delivering a service which our customers expect and deserve."

Other railway strikes are still planned

ScotRail's RMT members previously went on strike on 10 October.

An overtime and rest day working ban, put in place by the union, also caused cancellations across the rail network over several weeks.

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• Minister hopes rail row can be over by Christmas

The Scottish government took control of ScotRail in April after deciding to nationalise the rail franchise.

Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said the deal was fair and affordable, offering "very real benefits" for staff.

"Staff will welcome seeing an increase in their next pay packet with some of it in time for Christmas," she said.

"Passengers will equally welcome the news and know that we will have ScotRail services running as planned over winter and especially the festive period.

"Sadly, this deal does not mean we will avoid the impacts of industrial action on Scotland's railway disrupting travel plans in the months ahead.

"It is now incumbent on the UK government to allow the operators and RMT to get to the table and negotiate. Network Rail employees in Scotland deserve a pay deal too."

Rail services have been severely disrupted in recent months by a series of separate disputes with workers including ScotRail drivers - which has been resolved - and Network Rail staff.

The RMT said industrial action will be held across four 48-hour periods on 13-14 and 16-17 December, and 3-4 and 6-7 January.

Meanwhile Aslef union said train drivers at 12 rail companies, including Avanti West Coast which links Glasgow and London, are set to strike again on Saturday.